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Show 58 APPENDIX TO PART HI. under no restrictions previous to arriving at Santa Fe, I had secreted all my papers which I conceived necessary to preserve, leaving my book of charts, my 01 dcrs, and such others as to induce the govct ·nor to know me in my proper character, and to prevent his suspicions being- excited to a stricter enquiry. On examining my commission, orders, &c. he told me to t·cmove my trunk to my own quarters, and that on the morrow he would converse with me on the subject. I hacl caused the men to secrete my papers about theit· bodies, conceiving it safer than in the baggage; but in the evening-, finding the ladies of Santa Fe were tt·eating them to wine, &c. I was appreh~nsive theit· intemperance might discover the secret, and took them ft·om all but one (who had my jomnal in full) who could not be founcl, and put them in my trunk, conceiving that the inspection was over; but next moming an officer, with two men, waited on me and informed me he had co111e for me to v~sit the govern01·, and brought these two men to take up my trunk. I immediately perceived I was outgeneraled. On my <11'1'ival at the govcrnot·'s house, his excellency demnuded if I had the key. My reply was in the affirmative; when he oblierred " it is well;" my trunk would be a sacred deposit in the charge of the oflicet·, who would escort me to Chihuahua, for which place, after dinne r, I marched, unde r the escort of lieutenant Don Facundo ilfalgarcs, and 65 men, whose character I beg leave to introduce to the attention of your excellency as an European possessing all the l1igh sense of honor which formerly so evidently dilitinguished his nation, as the commandant of the 600 troops who made the expedi~ tion to the Pa'lunees, as an officer of disting uished merit, who in his mode of living fully justified the pomr antl style of his actions, outshines many of thcit· gorernors of provinces, and whom in my fu ture reports I shall have frequent occasion to quote. lie observed to me, "The govet·not• i11forms me, sir, your tnmk is under restrictions, but yonr word of honor as a soldier that no papers shall be tukcn out, and you have free ing ress, as usual." 1 g ave it, and I presume it is scarcely necessary to udd it was relig iously adhered to. On out· arrival at Chihuahua the general dcmandecl my trunk, and on its being opened and the papers lairl on the table, he took them in hand one by one and demanded what wns the purport of each, which tntth ob!j ~~c·cl ntc to tkclarc; and had I been di'>posc:GI to have cqui\'ocatt.:d, cn~ign \Valkct·, of his Catholic majcsty'!l se rvice, wlto stood present and as~istcd in the examination, could have immediately detected the frotud ; uho hiii excellency understands s uflicient or lil t· Engli-;h l:.lu~uagc tu dio;co\ Cl' the {iencral purpot•t of any p~\pc·t· .. APPENDIX TO PART Ill. 59 After going throug them in this manner and separating them mto two piles, he observed to me, "You will leave those papers for my inspection, and in the mean while, in concert with ensign\ Valkcr (who will give the Spanish translation) you will give n~e a detailed account of your route, views, destination, &c. and durmg- that time I will examine the papers now before me." To this I complied, flattering myself that it was his intention to return 1~1c my papers, by his demanding a sketch; also, so great wa:s ~ny co~hdcnce in the all-protecting 11rzmr of my count ry, I conce1ved 1t was a greater step than the g-eneral would venture to take, to seize on the p3pe r s . But when 1 had fini ~h e d the proposed ~ ketch and presented it and found a still further clelay, I addressed the general on the $\'l bject, when, nftcr a few days, some were returned b~t I w.1s o fft - cially informed that " the remni11ing paper::; were ::.c1zcd _on, b~t would be kept in the secret cabinet of that captain generalshtp, unul the pleasme of l1is Catholic majesty was lmown," at the same time presenting me with a certif1cute s peci fyi ng- the number ancl contents of tbose detained, and added that they were a~sortetl by my (J'l:J?~ 1Ja11d, aml 'VoLimtarily. This assertion was so cmllrary to truth, honor, or the line of conduct a general ~hould have pursued with a young gentleman, th at I took the liberty of telling one of the o~ccrs who signed said certiiicatc that it was incorrect. llut as serjeant 1\leck was still in the r ear, with nearly all my baggage, l took care to give him orders that none of said baggage should be opcn.ed, except by force, which will ·vince that, although 1 prefetTed acting like a gentleman to obliging general Salcedo to res~rt to rough treatment, yet that it wa~ not a volunteer smrendcr ol my papers. nut the genct·al will please to recollect that m~ journa~s were saved at Santa Fe, which were continued and arc enure to tlus post; a fortunate circumstance of lhc doctor's having copied my CO\li'Ses and distances throu g h all the route (except an excursio~1 w~ matle to the sou1·ce of the rivet· La Platte) unto the Spanish tern tones, preserv<.:d them. These will enable me to ex hibit a con ect ch:1rt of the route, although not so minutely as the one ::;cizcd on, which was plott~d daily b~ the eye and angular obzcrvations .. Thus my only c~scrHtal papers lost were my astronomical obscrvatwns, meteorologH:nl :abies, and a book cotH<lining remarks on minet·als, plants, &c. wttl l the manners, population, customs, &c. of the s avages; but the 1'Csult of the fomu:r were jn part communicated, and probably my journal may supply part of the balance, and our mcmo~·ic~ will ma~c the loss of the latter of but little consequence. " ' lnlc 111 the Spcinish territories J "as forbid the usc of pen nnd paper, n ot~ ith sta11cl - ,, |